Pedestal



vw 12, 1944. G. H. KOCH 2,364,794

' PEDESTAL Filed May 8, 1945 2 Sheets-'Sheet l 3a. as a ag WITNESSES; INVENTOR ORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 19541 PEDESTAL Gustav'H; Koch; SpringieldlMass., assignorto `Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing C'om panyr East Pittsburgh, Pa., a.y corporationof Pennsylvania Application May'8, 1943, Serial'No. 486,139

6 Claims.

My invention "relates to air translating apparatus and, more particularly to a relativelylarge fan of the floor-supported, pedestal-mounted type, in which the'fan motor unit and the fan guard: are mounted` onY the topfend4 of the sup,- portng column, with a base secured: to the lower endiof the supporting column.

Conventionally, the supporting column isy rigidly secured to a relatively` large base to insure stability, and, the combined weight of the motor fan assembly, column and base -isz more than can be lifted byfan average person; conveniently vor without undue strain. Dragging a fan of this type fromv one location to another may cause damage to the fan and to the surface over which it isV dragged.

Furthermore, with the supporting column rigidly secured to abase, itisA diicult to Wheel the entire fan. structure'on` the rim of the base.

This isv due to-the fact thatthe relatively large va fan of this character to blow. in `a certain direction and, where the supporting column-is rigidly secured to the` base, the entireapparatus must'I be lifted and placed at. the correct angle.

One object of my invention. is to Aproducean improved fan of the type set forth.`

Afurther object of my invention isto .produce a fan which may be easily moved from one location to another without being lifted off the floor, and without any great effort or strain.

A still further object of my invention is to produce a fan which may be moved from`v one location tovanother without any damage to the fanv itself or to the oor or' other surface over which it is moved.

A still further object of my invention is to producea fan of the type'set forth which may be readily moved fromY one llocation to another and which has a pleasing appearance;

To overcome the disadvantages above set' forth, I provide a fan having a base which is Arotatable relative to thesupporting.V column. To'imove the fan from one location'to another, the" fan is tilted so that the base contacts the floor only on a peripheral tread portion and turns freely as a Wheel. Provision is `also made forholdi'ng the column and the base against relative rotation when the fan is in the desired position.

These and other objects are eifectedby my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims Vtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application' in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of afan enrbodying my invention;

Fig. 2'is an enlarged, vertical sectionalfview of the lower portion of the fan showing the cover in engagement with, and preventing, the rotation of' said'base;

Fig. 3 is a view similarv to Fig. 2"showing the cover 'out of engagement with and `permitting rotation. of' said base; Y

Y Fig; 4 is a perspective view illustratingthe manner in which the fan may be easily moved from one location to another;

Fig. 5' is a View similar'to Fig. 1 and'showing an alternate form of construction;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional viewof the lower'rportion of Fig. l'showing the basein nonrotating position; A

Fig. 7 is a. View similar to Fig. 'showingth base in freely' rotating position;A f

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary' sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7; Fig. 9` isan enlargedV vieWof the lower righthand portion of Fig. 6; and, v Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the lower-righthand portion of thecover,` certain parts being omitted to' show details of construction.

According 'to my invention, I make the sup' -porting column I8' rotatable with respect'l to the base of the fan. This is' accomplished by aconstruction which includes a sleeve 22 rigidly'secured to the column I8 v'and having an upperreduced portion 211.A `The sleeve 2 2 isrotatably'connected to a base 26 by verticallyspacedvball bearing means 28 and 36. The ball bearing means 28 engages the lower portion of a boss 32, which is integral with, or rigidly secured to, the base 26, and the ball bearing means 36 engages an upper, reduced portion 34 of the boss 32. The outer portion or rim of the base 26 is deflected upwardly to form a tread portion 36 which is preferably pro vided with a rubber or other soft and frictional covering 38. By this construction, the fan can be tilted to about the position shown in Fig. 4 and wheeled on the tread portion 36 from one location to another, without being lifted off the floor. The covering 38 prevents damage to the periphery of the base 26 or to the surface over which it is moved.

In order to present a pleasing appearance and in order to prevent relative rotation of the base 26 and column I8, when the apparatus is sta'- tionary, I provide a locking and ornamental cover 46. The periphery of the cover 46 is preferably of a slightly smaller diameter than the base 26, measured at the edge or `rim of the tread portion 36, so that, when the fan is tilted as shown in Fig. 4, the edge 4I of the cover 46 will not come in contactv with the floor or other surface. The cover 46 is provided with a reduced neck42 which `is slidable vertically on the column I8. To the interior of the cover 46 `are suitably secured, as at 44, one or more spring clips 45 having curved or cam portions 46 which are adapted to engage either an upper or a lower annular recess or notch 48 or 56, formed in the upper reduced portion 24 of the sleeve 22.v The shape of the cam portions 46 with respect to the recess or notches 50 is such that when the cover 46 is forced into its lower position, the cam portions 46 of the spring clips 45, by engaging the lower correspondingly curved wall of the recess 56, clamp the bottomv periphery 4I of the cover 46 snugly against the periphery 36, or the covering 38 thereof, if said covering is used. The frictional engagement of the periphery of the cover 46 with the periphery of the base, under pressure of the spring clips 45, locks the base 26 and column I8 againstrelative rotation. When it is desired to move the fan,y the cover 40 is pulled upwardly rto disengage the cam portions 46 from the recess or notches 56. The base is now freely rotatable and acts as a wheel support for the fan. In the upper position of the cover 46, the curved portions 46 of the .spring clips 45 engage the Iupper recess 48 to prevent the cover from dropping until it is intentionally pressed into its lower position.

- It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel fan which may be easily and conveniently moved from one location to another without lifting -or dragging. It will also be seen that this is accomplished by simple and relatively inexpensive means which can be operated without any skill or special effort. In Figs. to 10, I show an alternate form of construction in which the spring clips 45 and notches 46 are omitted and in which the cover 46 is rigidly secured to the column I8 by a set screw or the like 54 passing through a hub or boss 56 which is` I provide a spring 58 which is secured to a portion of the hub, as at 66, and the outer end 62 which normally bears down upon the periphery 36 of the base 26, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9. In order to disengage the spring 58 from the base 26, I provide a flexible connection such as the ball chain 64, one yend of whichfis secured to the spring 56, as at 66, and the other end of which extends through a key-hole shaped opening 68 in the cover 46. To the other end of the chain 68 is secured a grip or handle portion 16, which may be in the form of a ring, but the size and shape of which are optional. The opening 68 is provided with a reduced portion or slot 'I2 which is wide enough to receive the links 14 connecting the balls of the chain 'but which is too small for passage of one of the balls themselves. Registering with the outer or movable end of the end 62 of the spring 58 is a recess 16 formed in the periphery of the cover 4D. i l

Operation-Figs-5 to 10 l Normally, the spring -58 presses down against the periphery of the base 26 so that it prevents,y free relative rotation lof the base and the col` umn I 8. If it is desired to move the fan from one location to another, theoperator pulls up- Wardly on the chain `64 untilvthe end 62 of the spring 58 is out of engagement with the base 26, as shown in Fig. 7. In order to'retain the,

spring in this position, the chain is engage-d in the reduced portion'12 of the opening 68. The fan maynow be wheeled on the periphery of the base from one location to another, or the'column I8 may be rotated relativeto the base to set the fan to the desired angle. To return the spring to the position shown in Fig..9,-the operator releases the link I4 from the reduced portion 12 and allows the chain to drop down through the opening 68 to release the spring 58.

It will be seen that this alternate construction possesses all theadvantages possessed by the construction illustrated and described in connection with Figs. l to 4.

In both forms of construction the motor I2 is energized by an electric cord 86 which enters the standard I8 through an opening 82 near the upper thereof and which extends downwardly through the standard I 8 and emerges through an opening 84. The opening 84 may be provided in the cover 46-.or at a suitable point in the lower portion of the standard, it being necessary that the structure be such that the cord 86 will not twist and turn as the fan is wheeled about the base 26.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of' various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appendedclaims.-

What I claim is: y v1. A pedestal for supporting an electric device including a column, and a base for supporting said column, means for rotatably connecting said base to said column, whereby said base serves as a wheel support on which said pedestal may be moved from one location to another, and an 2. The structure recited in claim 1 together with means for normally holding said base against rotation.

3.` A pedestal comprising a column and a base for said column, and means for assembling said base to said column comprising a sleeve fixedly secured to said column, means for rotatably connecting said sleeve to said base, and a combined cover and locking member slidable on said co1- umn into an operative position in engagement with, and preventing the rotation ofA said base, and into an inoperative position spaced from and permitting rotation of said base.

4. 'Ihe structure recited in claim 3 in Which said sleeve is provided with spaced recesses, and in which a spring clip is carried interiorly of said member for detachably engaging either of said recesses.

5. A pedestal comprising a column, a 'base for supporting said column, means for rotatably connecting said base to said column, whereby said base serves as a wheel support on which said pedestal may be moved from one location to another, and means for permitting or preventing rotation of said base comprising a spring carried by said column and engaging said base andk means for disengaging said spring from said base.

6. A pedestal comprising a column, a base for supporting said column, means for rotatably connecting said base to said column, whereby said base serves as a wheel support on which said pedestal may be moved from one location to another, locking means for preventing rotation of said base relative to said column, a cover concealing said base and said locking means', and exteriorly accessible means for disengaging said locking means to permit rotation of said base and column.

GUSTAV H. KOCH. 

